Gray
by Blitz
Summary: The story of one mutant woman and shards of the story that altered her life forever.


Gray.html ~@~ **_GRAY_** ~@~   


Disclaimer: All characters are mine. "The human soul cannot be permanently chained."- W.E.B. Dubois. "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." - M. Kathleen Casey. 

Summary: The story of one mutant woman and shards of the story that altered her life forever. 

Rated: PG.   


A cold breeze, in more ways than one, flies over the boulevard. Gentle lights twinkle on both in the sky and on earth, melting into each other. Julia Dylan keeps her head down against the night sky. Her hands burrow down into her pockets, warpping her coat even more tightly around her. It isn't only that she is cold, she is just lonely. Seven years ago, she would have never thought this predicament possible. She had never known it had even existed. She had been a sheltered childe. 

Julie shut her eyes and rememers.   


**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   
"Oh. My. God. Julie. _Julie_! _Look_!" Clare cried. "He's looking over here! No! Don't _look_!" 

"You just told me to!" 

"Honestly, Jules, you can be _so_ dense sometimes. I'm gonna go over and talk to him. Ya comin'?" Clare stood up and looked at Julie with her wide brown eyes. 

"As _if_! I'll catch you guys later. I gotta go." She swung her knapsack over her shoulder and the brown haired fourteen-year-old innocent glided away from her friend and her friend's "husband-to-be-but-only-an-acquiantance-for-now-as-dictated-by-a-game-of-MASH", Brian. 

"Yeah. See ya."   
**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   


If only she had known then what she knows now. If only ...   


**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   
The man and the woman were behind Julie as she paid for her aspirins. She turned around to glance at the two. She didn't like the way the man was looking at her or the cold smile that graced the woman's lips. As Julie took the bag from the cashier's hand, she felt a hard grip around her other wrist. She tensed. 

"What-?" she asked softly, afraid as she turned around to meet ice-cold, steel-gray eyes. 

"Say nothing, and that shall be the consequence. Your silence will save you." 

There was a sharp *click* and a sharp pain hit Julie in the side. It was not an injury, just a poke. Julie glanced down at the bag with the aspirins in it swinging at her side. She barely glimpsed the handle of a switchblade and the blade itself that rested dangerously close to piercing her skin. All the color drained from Julie's face as they stepped into a gray Honda Accor. She swallowed.   
**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   


Julie walks into the liguor store and heads straight for the Budweiser. 

"Uh, excuse me, Miss? I'm gonna need to see an I.D. for that." 

"I'm 21," she shoots back angrily. 

"Do you have an I.D.?" 

She pasues, and then pulls out a drivers license. The man behind the counter examines it and then hands it back. She hands him the money for the six-pack. 

"Thanks," she mumbles as she takes the plastic bag and steps outside. A gray Honda Accord drives by, splashing water onto the sidewalk. She shuts her eyes and lowers her head.   


**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   
As the door shut Julie turned to the steel-eyed woman. 

"All questions will be answered in time ... mutant." 

Julie's heart froze. She was normal, and prided herself on such. Never once had she experienced any symptoms that would led anyone to such a conclusion. Mutants didn't live around her and her neighborhood and they never would. 

"No, I - " But she stopped short. The accusation came as a shock to her and she had no words to defend herself. Other than a simple denial, of course. 

"We've had a few ... _tips_ that you may be an "in-the-closet" mutant, as I like to say. Meet our little Poltergeist, Spencer Kyler, or just Skylar," the man said. 

Julie looked in the rearview mirror so that she could see the boy in the front passenger seat. He had thick brown hair that may have fell into his eyes had he been sitting up, but now it covered his face almost entirely. He looked ashamed of himself and she felt kind of sorry for him, despite their current situation which _he_ had gotten her into. 

"But I'm not a mutant!" 

Skylar muttered something under his breath. 

"A little louder, Hon, " the steel-eyed woman coaxed gently, smiling. 

"I said you control rocks ... and stone, and ore, and minerals. They bend to your will." He paused and slumped over even more. "I wish _I_ had your gift." 

"Skylar - " 

"I'm only good for tracking mutants." 

"Skylar! That's enough." 

Skylar looked out of the window longingly. The man hit the auto-lock and his every hope and dream of escaping was crushed. He curled farther down and covered his face with his hands. Julie stared at her lap, trying to hold back tears. She was almost too afraid to cry.   
**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   


Julia turns down the street, and then u pit. She faces the oppositie side of the street and walks confidently across. A car honks as it slows to miss her. She turns to face it as she stops for a moment, her gray eyes flashing. She turns back around and continues walked, her gray-silver hair flowing delicately behind her.   


**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   
"You are now a part of the MMR: Mutant Medical Resarch. You will see more inside the building, now get out." 

Julie obeyed and stared at the hard, white building. She closed her eyes and concentrated, raising her hands. There was a slight rumble and she opened her eyes. A few stones had broken loose from the building. Skylar had been right. 

*Fzzzzhhhuhhht.* There was a slight buzz and an electrical shock traveled up Julie's spine, causing her to lose all concentration and to fall to the ground, revealing the stun-gun the man was holding. 

" 'Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.'. You remember that next time, my young Julie."   
**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   


Julia Dylan continues down her lost walk. With each step, she gains distance from the Motel 6 where she is currently a resident and she knows she has to go back soon. 

She sits down at a bench and pops open a bottle of the beer she had recently bought and hopes it won't take too long for her to get drunk.   


**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   
"You want to explain this to me, you _ass_hole?" Julie asked through the wall. 

"Mindlink. They won't be able to hear us that way. " You were saying? > 

Get out of my mind, you freak! > 

You wanna get stunned again? > Skylar sounded angry. 

Julie was silent. 

Then do as I say. We have to mindlink. I'm telepathic and can sense personalitiies in a way. I "see" weaknesses and strengths. That's how I knew you were a mutant before you. > 

Not very fair if you ask me. > She paused. Do your parents know you're here? > 

Do _yours_? Besides, mine probably don't care. _These_ people are my legal gaurdians. They said they wanted to adopt a "special" child. I was touched at first. Then I found out their intentions. > 

Which are? > 

Think about it: Mutant ... Medical ... Research. They're testing us. > 

But why? > 

How the hell should I know? > he snapped, causing her to be silent; at least for a little while. We're lab rats. > 

Why did they take _me_? Why did you _let_ them? How _could_ you? > 

Their mindlink let her feel his emotions as well as his thoughts, and right then she felt every ounce of remorse in him. Guilt, depression, and sadness flooded her until it was all she could do not to cry. She tried not to feel guilty for asking the question. 

I ... don't ... know. I ... _had_ to. > 

They wouldn't know if you had said no. > After she said this, there was a few second pause, and then there was a sever in their mindlink and all the guilt, remorse, and sadness left her in a flash. 

"Good _night_, Julia." 

"Good night, Skylar." 

After a few moments of silence as they each settled into their beds, Julie felt a slightly familiar presence around her mind. "Skylar?" Immediately she saw the MMR in flames and she began to panic. Another picture flashed before her eyes of him, slightly older, driving away. And her, causing stones and the base of the MMR rising into the air and crushing it. She understood. 

_That's_ why. > he whispered into her mind. 

As she was drifting into sleep later on, she heard him say, You can back out if you want. I can get you out of here and make it look like it was their stupidity. I can try to cloud their minds. > 

Maybe it was the sleep affecting her judgement or maybe she was sincere. She sent him a picture of him driving away from a smoldering wreckage and her destroying the MMR. She could sense him smile through their mind link and drift away into unconsciousness. Juliea felt good about her decision.   
**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   


Julia stares at the bottle. She's barely taken two drinks when she throws the bottle in the garbage can and gets up, leaving the plastic bag with the six-pack in it on the bench. She heads back toward the Motel 6, a little more than a mile away.   


**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   
"Where are you taking me?! Damn you! Let go of me! NO!" 

Thomas, the gray-eyed woman, and Lynch, the dark haired man, had taken hold of her arms and were almost dragging her toward the testing room. 

"You can't do this!" She was thrust down into the chair. 

"Michelle, Margaret. Hold her." 

"No!" 

Julie Dylan felt each muscle convulse simultaneously and then freeze, holding her in place. Another man started to walk toward her. His face was set in a serious frown. He walked over to a table and chose the smallest needl and filled it with a fluid. He turned his back to Julie as he fixed the right dosage. When he turned around the fear was noticeable in her eyes. He approached her and held her arm as he stuck the needle into her left bicep. 

"All done," he said, a little too cheerfully. He turned back and Julie could hear the sound of pills being poured into a plastic container. When he turned back to her, he was holding a bottle of pills. "Stay here and take one of these every two hours. We'll attach electrodes to you and monitor your heart beat, blood pressure, and internal organs." He turned to the two girls standing in the corner. "Margaret, Michelle? You may release her now." 

With an apologetic glance at Julie, they let her go and Julie exhaled heavily. A medical crew came in through two swinging doors, wheeling in a bed. 

"Michelle? Margaret?" Thomas asked. The girls held hands and lowered their heads. Julie felt herself rising into the air and held there, suspended. She tried to struggle, but found she could not as the doctors undressed her ...   
**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   


Julia is almost to the Motel 6 now. She has only a few more blocks to go. She raises her head as she passes a red convertible. It is parked in front of a fire hydrant. She glances at the store it is in front of. A pet shop. 

"Oh, well that's just _wrong_," Julia smirks and removes the hotel keys from her pocket. Strutting over to the front tail light, she drages the keys over the paint and circles around, causing scratches in the paint. As she drags it along the other side, a policecar drives around the corner and stops at Julia.   


**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   
Julie sat shivering on her bed, her legs curled up to her chest. 

What did they do to you? > 

"None of your cukin' business!" she screamed at Skylar in the next room. She buried her head in her knees, trying not to think of the cold electrodes being placed along her body. It was humiliating. "And don't you try to probe my mind for any information, either! It's none of your business!" 

"I wouldn't dream of it. It's just ... do you wanna talk about it? This is a rare oppurtunity for a therapy session around here. Take it." 

There was a pause and Julie's sigh was audible to Skylar in his room. "Sure. Why not? Mind-link." She felt Skylar's presence in her mind, scanning her surface thoughts. She passed along a picture of the shot she recieved. It gets worse. > she said. She then sent him a picture of pills being forced down her throat as she lay on the bed, and of the electrodes. Skylar was silent for a long time. Even his thoughts were silent, blocked off from her. 

"Skylar?" 

Just thinking. Is that why the girls won't talk to me about the procedures? > 

Julie shrugged. Yeah. Probably. > 

Do you want out? > 

There was a knock on the door and it opened, spilling light from the hallway into the room. It was Lynch. "Lights out," Lynch said and shut the door. He continued on to Skylar's room. 

Not without you. > she mentally whispered. She felt the relief and gratitude spill over to her. 

Thanks. > 

You're welcome. Just tell me the when and where and I'll bring this place down. > She shifted. Look, I've been practicing. > She looked around and finally settled on the window. They were in the basement so the window above her only let in so much light and was barely inches away from th ground. She put her hands on the sill and stared at a rock until it moved over to Skylar's window. It raised into the air and began to shake violently. A crack settled in the rock and within moments, it was reduced to dust. 

That's great, Julie. But I have bad news for you: this isn't exactly a rock. Or even a _boulder_ for that matter; it's the headquarters for the MMR. We gotta work on your ability. But - > he added trying not to make her feel too bad - it's a start and you're doing pretty well for a beginner. > 

Skylar could almost hear the smirk in her tone, but he could _definitely_ feel her pride and mirth. Why, Skylar. You underestimate me. This "pretty good" ability will bust you out of here. > Julie closed her eyes and concentrated hard. The bars over Skylar's window began to quiver with the stone walls shaking. Cracks began to form in the stone and bits and pieces of rock began to fall off. Flakes begn to break away from both the top and the bottom stone sill. She collapsed, gasping, as one metal bar fell away. 

Julie! You id it! Now do the others. > 

I ... can't. I'm too weak. I'm just learning to control my powers. You've got to let me rest. > 

But we're so close! > 

Okay. I'll try. > Once more, flakes of stone fell from the wall. And then stopped. 

Julie? Julie?! Damn. Asleep. > "Goof night, Julie." No sooner had he said this than he heard the door fling open and voices say, 

"Night shift. Come on, Julia. Wow, out cold. Okay, you get her and I'll go prepare the tests." 

Skylar almost shouted "No!" as he heard them take her away. Julie was half conscious as she felt herself being picked up by the doctos. She could hear them whisper to each other. 

"She was using her powers. We'll have to sedate her every night. She can't do anymore damage right now. C'mon, Johnson! You'll drop her! She needs more support!"   
**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   


"Excuse me, ma'am?" the police officer says from inside his squad car. 

"Officer," she nods to him in recognition and faces him. 

"This your car?" 

Knowing very well that she would get a parking ticket - which she could not afford to pay at the moment - she denied it. "_This_ car? No. I've never seen it before," she smiles. 

The police officer looks from the car to the keys to her hand and travel along the deep scratch she had made with the keys. He gazed at her with a puzzled look on his face as he writes a parking ticket. "Are you fully aware that destruction of private property is a crime?" 

"Oh, yes. Very aware."   


**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   
Julie! I got out! You _did_ it! > 

Good. G'night, Skylar ... > 

No! We gotta bring this place down! > 

But Julie couldn't hear him anymore. She was already falling asleep from the tranquilizers she had recieved. She never wanted to move again. Sleep overcame her and Skylar disappeared from her thoughts. 

Half an hour passed before the door opened. Julie cringed and shied away from the light. 

Relax! Julie! It's just me! > 

Skylar? > 

The one, the only! C'mon! We're bustin' out! > 

But I'm so tired ... > 

Damned if I'm leaving you, Julie. Now get your ass outta bed and follow me! > he thought to her, pulling her out of bed. She strgguled to keep her eyes open as Skylar led her to a back exit. Over here. > 

The cold bit at Julie's face and skin as the night air greeted her. "Where are we going?" she murmured sleepily. 

"Here, sit down. I'll try to rescue some others." He gazed down at Julie. Her lips were beginning to turn grey along with the roots of her hair and eyebrows. "G'night, Julie," he whispered and disappeared into the darkness. 

Julie didn't remember all of what happened that night, a little side effect from the drugs. She awoke that morning next to the two girls from the testing room: Margaret and Michelle. At first, she panicked, but then she remembered a few scenes from the night before and calmed down. All around her wre sleeping bodies; about ten in all, including her and Skylar. She assumed that these were the test subjects of the MMR. 

"Julie, you're awake! I need to talk to you," Skylar sdaid, jogging over to her. 

"Skylar?" she murmured sleepily. 

"You did it. Because of you I got out and got the test subjects out. Look over there." 

Julie looked to where he was pointing There was a pillar of smoke rising up from behind the hedges. She got up and walked over to he hedges and peered over on her tip-toes. She could see the MMR; or at least, what was _left_ of it. 

"If you want, you could reduce it to rubble. It's already pretty much destroyed. I just thought you could get some revenge. I could help you keep your mind clear and give you strength ..." 

But Julie had already shut her eys and was raising her hands into the air. Skylar could see bits and pieces of the MMR fgall away from the smoking buiding as other rocks broke windows. Julie collapsed into Skylar's arms and tried to keep a hold on consciousness. 

"Julie!" He looked up at the wreckage. " 'The human sould cannot be permanently chained'," he murmured. 

She smiled and looked up into his brown eyes with her brown-turning-gray ones. Skylar carried her back behind the gas station with the others. Julie propped herself up against the wall. "So. Where are you gonna go now?" she smiled. 

"I never really thought about it; just gonna make it up as I go along, I guess." 

"Good plan." Julie lowered her head, a shy smile crossing over her face. She looked up, the smile turning playful. "Ya know? This would make a _perfect_ ending to a movie." 

"Yeah," Skylar laughed, "well, this is a little _less_ than perfect. And we'd have to add a few twists. Like a doctor helped us or something. Or a test subject betrayed us. Or one of our friends died in the fire." 

"Yeah. And if it were a movie, you would move in with me and we would ultimately ... fall in love." 

Skylar laughed. "No thank _you_. I would _never_ move in with a teeny-bopper like _you_!" 

"It wasn't an invitation!" 

"I know. Or you could have abusive parents and run away with me." 

"But life isn't a movie and I love my parents." Julie paused. "And you're not my type," she said wryly. 

Skylar laughed. "Don't worry. The feelings mutual."   
**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   


"Ma'am? Could you tell me your name please? I'll need to file a report at the station."   


**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   
Well, I'll see ya later, little Stone-Thrower." 

Julie turned around, smiling. "Slate." 

Skylar grinned and shook her hand. "Poltergeist."   
**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**   


"Slate. My name is Slate." 

--The End-- 


End file.
